Making Cloth from Tree Bark with Ainu in Japan

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

Subtitles! Hit that CC button (... on mobile) to get them. Also, this was filmed in June 2019... I'm very slow at editing.

[@ojasadhikari8486]

Hello Greg uncle, I suppose Aiko is in junior high school and shin is in elementary school so could you please make a video with both of them on japan's education system. Like what subjects students study and what does Japanese education system prioritize more

[@LoldemortII]

You finished it one way or another so all is good :D

[@haxha]

you're still doing great!

[@Sanpey]

I guessed it could be during the summer as we can see the trees are very green :p

[@mugiwarauffy7776]

a year that is Not a long time, hahahahaha 🐙🐲

[@internationallyME]

I love how this kind of tradition/culture is still preserved in Japan. So jealous you got to experience this! お疲れさまfor editing yet another interesting video Greg!

[@regejs]

we have that in latvia too, they are called "lībieši"

[@LifeWhereImFrom]

Thanks Angela!

[@XCerykX]

They can take the craft preservation too far though. For instance, I have heard some swordsmiths are jealous that in the US we don't have legal restrictions on materials and can use any steel we want instead of just traditional steel.

[@Name-jw4sj]

Why don't you make videos anymore Angela?

[@Drownedinblood]

Learn about the Ainu a bit, they weren't exactly loved until recent times. Ainu are now trying to reclaim and rediscover their culture, not exactly having preserved it.

[@Rascal86]

Hawaiians have a similar traditional cloth making technique with bark from local mulberry trees. The material is called kapa. It's interesting how different we are, yet how similar we think.

[@lost_comment]

Yes! I was just going to right about this. It seems like most of the indigenous peoples around and in the Pacific have this practice. Very fascinating.

[@SapioiT]

​@@lost_comment And the process of turning the stalks of fibrous grasses (like rice and flax and hemp) does not differ by much, only replacing the de-barking with the harvesting of the straw/hay which to be boiled in ash-water (potash) which is an alkaline substance which dissolves the non-fibers first, and without the separation of the layers of fibers because the straws are already separated and thin enough, and without the peeling of the slimy substance because there is not that much in grasses. Cotton differs in processing though, though not by that much, with a cotton gin used to clean the fibers just like how the wool is cleaned with a similar but differently named device which is a scaled up version of the cotton gin.

[@zolacnomiko]

Haha, I see I am not the only person here to share about kapa! To expand on this for the rest of the class... kapa (or tapa, depending on what part of Polynesia you're in) is a little different in that it is not a woven cloth. The strips of soft inner bark are soaked, layered, and then beaten with a club to mesh them together... so in structure it is more like felt or soft paper than a woven cloth. I was always fascinated by this, a different solution to the universal problem of "how to make make clothing."

[@kevincorsentino1121]

You're Hawaiian with this name?Wow

[@blackcitroenlove]

We do this kind of weaving too in the Southeastern US native nations. Mulberry and hemp cloth is very traditional, and we're bringing back the art of making the cloth using these. The finger-woven belts that we make are now made of commercial yarn, but they were originally made of bark or hemp

[@benjiusofficial]

*This* is the stuff I would want to see if I went to Japan. The big city seems fun but its the traditions and culture that makes a society interesting.

[@tantrumese4242]

Agreed

[@shanthageorge8254]

Absolutely right.

[@FreyR_Kunn]

The big cities are Yamato, though

[@WoodChoppa911]

And it's very different from the rest of Japan

[@DerpyPoint]

I went to the Ainu Centre in Sapporo before wrapping up my trip in Hokkaido back in 2015. It's so eye-opening to learn more about one of the indigenous minorities in Japan and this part of their culture where they weave trees into fabric caught my eye the most. What also intrigued me is they have a book listing all of the place names in Hokkaido that are of Ainu origin, which explains why some places have "nonsensical" Kanji, but in actuality they're to stand in as sounds for all the incorporated Ainu words.

[@CircmcisionIsChi1dAbus3]

I thought the Japanese were super safety conscious lol operating a chain saw around people who don't know what they're doing, with no eye, or ear protection. Jeez. Forestry is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world for work place accidents.

[@goognamgoognw6637]

@@CircmcisionIsChi1dAbus3 Ha, you're right. But i have a sinister feeling about this video, it's more about the japanese government micro controlling the Ainu culture to always be a sub-current of japanese culture even though they are totally unrelated. It's cultural imperialism. Having a lot of japanese people mingling in what should be purely Ainu tradition supports my suspicions. The japanese govt decides which tree the Ainu are allowed to peel and then requires them to cut the tree (not part of Ainu tradition) clearly looks like nosing in to control Ainus. I bet the chainsaw is part of Japanese requirement on the Ainus.

[@ckaybit]

@Bianca D I don't think ainu are related to most japanese people either ? To my understanding the ainu people were already there before the people that we now consider japanese.

[@JFmK-sh5nh]

So.... Asahi or Sapporo?!? 🤔

[@권현운]

@@CircmcisionIsChi1dAbus3 The industrial accident rate in Japan is very low... I know this well because I live in Korea, where the industrial accident rate is very high.

[@KirkKiyosadaTome]

Gorgeous. As an Okinawan descendant, the indigenous Ainu lifestyle greatly reminds me of the Ryukyu historic practices. Thanks, Greg and fam!

[@garam8187]

wow you are actually reach ainu tribe, what a great documentation

[@LordLobov]

You are excused

[@goognamgoognw6637]

​@Saudi King Volintine Ander of Arabia Yes, well said. Even in this video, it felt sinister when the girl said but non-ainu also are doing and participating in this and then she tried to justify in a weird way. But i see it as a continuation of forced assimilation where the japanese are so much worried of separatism (even though they eliminated that option long ago) that a non traditional japanese culture lives on the land they claim (which is Ainu ancestral land really). The real reason Japanese are involved in this Ainu tradition, is to prevent Ainu from doing something purely on their own reviving a separate culture. There are many subtle points in the video that indicate that the japanese are not allowing AInu culture to be under its own leadership. Like the government telling them which tree to cut, and changing their culture demanding the tree to be cut, or kimono, is that really an Ainu clothing or a Japanese one ? This all had the marks of cultural imperialism. You will tell me the Han chinese group who rules China is doing far worse in Tibet or Xinjiang / East turkmenistan. For sure, they're putting people in camps and drugging them + brainwashing them and god knows what else (organ harvesting for those they genocide). So I try not to be to judgemental about the Japanese.

[@samuel.j.barker]

@Saudi King Volintine Ander of Arabia "USED to be", but now they're literally like modern Japanese but have different traditions, that was rezars point. And yeah i think most watching this will know that ngl my man

[@yayoikisaragi7968]

@Saudi King Volintine Ander of Arabia Hypocrite, have you ever studied genetic analysis of the Ainu, huh? They are a mix from the start.

[@itsblitz4437]

Yeah they are so unheard of. Glad to see Ainu culture and people in action.

[@mmmirele]

This reminds me of the labor that goes into turning flax into linen. The flax has to be harvested, then retted (in the old days, left to sit in a pond, now mostly chemical) to soften, then broken down to get the outside separated from the inside (a multi-step process called "dressing") and then spun, dyed and woven. It was a lot of work to get a new dress or shirt back in the day.

[@Bobbias]

Its wonderful to see more content talking about the Ainu. It's a huge shame that like many indigenous peoples, their culture has largely been lost over the years.

[@Bobbias]

@@FireSilver25 I'm canadian, and metis. I'm well aware of the history of treatment of indigenous peoples.

[@MrStarwindk]

Ainu culture hasn't been lost but has been continuing for generations, you think it's been lost because it's not mentioned in news media, but in fact they are still carried on in Hokkaido.

[@scarletletter4900]

At time of posting, I've been teaching myself how to file down peach pits into beads and pendants. I basically got bored and had just eaten a peach. My brain did a thing an wonder if I could carve this or something. Googling "how to carve a peach pit" pulled up a dissertation on the history of peach pit carving and images of carvings that are way above my present skill set, and I've been playing with peach pits since.

[@FBIMOUS377]

Are you eating all those peaches? Or how are you getting your source of pits?

[@NoiseDay]

I'm so glad you posted this! I live on a peach orchard and am looking for ways to live more naturally and sustainably while being creative. It would be fun to try this myself with the pits of peaches that have fallen on the ground.

[@scarletletter4900]

@@FBIMOUS377 The pits are happy byproduct of eating fresh peaches; which are in season in my area and usually on sale as a result.

[@scarletletter4900]

@@NoiseDay Awesome, but be sure to clean and dry your peach pits before filing or you will clog your file.

[@renangel]

@@NoiseDay Ground up peach pits are actually used in exfoliating peach scrubs!

[@TemperedStorm]

It does my heart good to see these crafts and skills still being used today, regardless if it's for trade or education. Thank you for this video.

[@thedicta317]

i got interested in Ainu people since I watched Golden Kamuy nice video btw

[@damiann4734]

This is pretty cool. Keep these tradition alive. It's very important

[@KevJDunn]

So good to see the promotion of Ainu culture like this. Most Japanese are ignorant or indifferent to Ainu culture but it is all part of Japan. We went to that museum about 15 years ago and it looks like they have updated it - nice! Good on Maya!

[@morganfreeman6336]

Proud descendant of the Ainu. Thank you for this wonderful video.

[@starffruit]

i’m so thankful for golden kamuy, and the way that it brought the beauty of ainu culture to light in a wonderful and respectful way. it made me want to research their culture further, and that’s led me here. the way the ainu make their traditional clothing is so incredibly interesting and beautiful. they never let anything go to waste, and are so welcoming and open to everything and everyone. it’s a damn shame that the japanese empire hurt these people and attempted to destroy their culture the way they did. as a native american, i sympathize deeply with the struggles of the ainu people, and just like us, i’m happy to see that they, too, have fought hard to keep their traditions alive.

[@aussieblackhawk123]

I thought I was the only one watching this because of golden kamuy lol

[@bballer7583]

I love that theyre keeping these traditions and indigenous cultures alive!

[@froggiesponds]

Ainu culture is so beautiful! While you were in Hokkaido filming this, I was on my first trip to Japan and I was able to see the Ainu ornaments section at the Tokyo National Museum and was blown away by how amazing their clothing is. Hopefully someday I'll be able to visit the Ainu museum !

[@gaelbritt6873]

I grew up in Hokkaido, and now live in the US, this is so wonderful.

[@tiamcbride4502]

Wow so wonderful.. I love watching the younger generations keeping traditional ways going..

[@bombygriz]

I have been studying lots of different Polynesian cultures for a while and bark cloth or ‘tapa’ is made in many cultures there too. Different kind of trees but same idea.

[@shenglongisback4688]

Yup,Kapa,Tapa,Hiapo,Siapo different names same concept

[@MsZeus49]

That was fascinating! I have often wondered how cloth was made way back when. I can imagine that happening thousands of years ago. What the mind can create is amazing!

[@leselle777]

Interesting ...Inspiring ...and Beautiful. In the Caribbean, in the country of Trinidad and Tobago we have wooden and stone artifacts from the Arawaks and Caribs. Their history, adornments, tools, what they ate, grew and hunted. Some even have their linage.

[@tondalayakapoofnick2681]

It's so great to see people embracing their customs and heritage. The West could learn a lot from amazing people like this. It's beautiful.

[@10lauset]

It's a lot like British Columbia, Washington State and Alaska who made similar garments. Thanks for bringing notice to the people of Hokkaido. Cheers

[@rosepalmer73]

We used to do this with the “cascara” trees here in the USA country, state of Washington. And then we could sell it for so many pennies on the (usd) Dollar. They are really easy to peel the bark off and the bark is used to help make medicines. We were very poor and as well as picking pinecones for their seeds to sell once a year we also do this with the bark.

[@markespley8740]

That was beutiful Greg. Can't get enough of that sort of content. Standing in the shallow waters in peaceful surroundings, working with nature, not against it looked great but what actually made me tear up was when Mia said the Ainu see all people as human beings. Never a truer word !! Great stuff, thanks.😎🐨🦘👍

[@nanamiharuka3269]

Its great to see them embracing their Ainu roots when it's so stigmatized there!

[@BankruptMonkey]

I really love when channels give a spotlight to indigenous groups

[@Automedon2]

The traditional culture of Japan is beautiful beyond words. When I watch videos of Japan, I get a yearning for that type of peace.

[@karlsvensk393]

Beautiful. Thank you for helping them share this with the world.

[@ericpigeon6179]

Thank you, again, for sharing a slice of life from the other side of the world.

[@nyuchu]

This is so nice. I could watch a whole series on the Ainu people. I want to see more historical stuff or indigenous culture videos..

[@briangarrow448]

Pacific Northwest Native Tribes also use tree bark for weaving.

[@spectacularbear]

yeah! since the channel guy is from Vancouver I thought he would mention our local cedar weaving tradition but he didn't

[@kilipaki87oritahiti]

It’s a universal technique...

[@sachideshmane5088]

Dugout canoes too.

[@kiabtoomlauj6249]

@@kilipaki87oritahiti It really is a universal/human technique. Humans are able to find and use local materials, wherever they may be. How humans create fabrics/cloths from materials like cotton, sheep, etc. was just an attempt to emulate/copy nature's more naturally grown fibers seen in grasses, trees, vines, etc. Most of my grandparents PARENTS and GRAND PARENTS, from the 1920s to the 50s, used to make most of their clothes from HEMP, in the highlands of northern Laos/southern China/Yunnan. In Asia, the particular hemp subspecies tribal people grew --- small and straight trees with very fine bark/skin --- they're 100% for their very strong, elastic linen-like skin fabric (not for smoking, such as the use of the leaves, like it is here in the US and Latin America, in modern day "synthetically engineered" weed growing). Manufactured linen and other clothes were still very expensive, for most tribal people, so only the lighter clothes were made with the lighter, more refined city-manufactured linens that must be bought from faraway towns and cities. The heavier skirts and coats were still made largely from locally produced, locally weaved hemp fabrics.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3uzqnmGrKqHaac This video, of modern day OLD STYLED skirt making.... was NOT necessarily an actual hemp-based skirt. But the fabrics --- as well as the stitching technique ---- LOOKED rough enough to be similar to what I saw, decades ago, of what my grandmothers used to stitch, used to wear...

[@QuandaleDoggy]

Ainu cool that’s cool tree bark cloth wow I’m amazed thx life where I’m from nice vid

[@humberabdulah4733]

i love the way you show ainu works of art, house and furniture the visual of your video is simple and elegance

[@giidelara4267]

This is an amazing video about Ainu tradition! I've been really interested in Ainu culture, language and traditions since high school. Thanks that Japan finally (I'm not really sure) recognized them as an ethnic group. Currently the Upopoy Ainu Museum and Park was opened. That facility will help preserve the Ainu culture and will help all the people about the lives of Ainu and their origin. Great video Mr. Greg! Hope to see couple of videos about your trip in Hokkaido especially your Ainu culture experience. Stay safe!

[@2WheelsGood.01]

Love to see more outdoorsy stuff like this. Also wow she's beautiful.

[@yuranamo]

The fabric looks so beautiful

[@cleverduck3921]

One has to marvel at the ingenuity of the individuals that figured out this rather complex process so long ago.

[@ThaSandwitch]

This video has me missing Golden Kamuy

[@vivoslibertos]

Hina Hina

[@jie2808]

@@vivoslibertos That is about the only phrase i remembered.

[@user-et7fu3jg9l]

Same

[@peterhammes8321]

@@vivoslibertos Chitatap Chitatap

[@yixinyeo3479]

And sinna kisar and also osoma

[@celfhelp]

wonderful video, greg. such a pleasant, beautiful experience

[@samjuhnfilm]

always had a fascination with ainu culture, mahalo once again 🤙🏼

[@akhilchenna7698]

Golden Kamuy brought me here, been watching all the episodes of it and learning about Ainu culture

[@bluewingsprite]

May the Ainu culture persist and blossom. Thank you for a beautiful video

[@atilamatamoros7499]

Thanks for such a stimulating video about the Ainu. Congratulations for your effort!

[@pattobyo]

this was so cool! Love seeing videos on Ainu

[@gm2256]

Traditional methods are so labor intensive. People in the past certainly had more busy work to do! Really cool showcase video, thanks Greg!

[@akirakwon9]

I learn new things from watching your videos. Its a real eye-opener to me.

[@GallonMilkProductions]

That's nice that everyone is invited to the event thats how stuff gets spread

[@pauieeepau]

It's always interesting to see long-standing cultural techniques still being practiced all over the world.

[@Pewerle]

Wow the naked Logs look so pure and elegant

[@cookbook800]

Wow, I’m so glad they continually keep the tradition alive!

[@net-twin-de]

I can not say it often enough - I love Japanese crafts and culture! Thx for the nice video. Kind regards from Germany :)

[@donnywhisnu7995]

Calling the Ainu as Japanese is the same as calling the Native Indians as Americans.

[@net-twin-de]

@@donnywhisnu7995 oh sorry thats new for me - thx for the info :)

[@naseerahvj]

As usual I'm privileged to have multiple backgrounds. Right now I'm making a scrap quilt from leftover fabrics. Since they are many different shapes I'm sewing them down onto 12 1/2" blocks. I also braid the leftover fabric and can make baskets. Using leftover scraps of fabric is important, since fabric had historically been so expensive. Scrappy quilts are also nice, because they hold history in the fabrics used.

[@simonjohnson2897]

Another wonderful video! Thanks to you and to the Ainu volunteers

[@texaspineywoods3879]

Thank you for these videos. You audience appreciates you.

[@ThanhMaiOFFICIAL]

It’s amazing what you can do with nature! This episode has definitely been an education as well as insightful view. Keep up the fresh and interesting content on this channel 🙌💯🇯🇵🌿

[@ramenseller]

Continue making more videos like this! So intersteing let people know more about Ainu culture all over the world!

[@openscholar9908]

In the south United States we used to break the twigs off of black gum trees and split the end of it crossways a bunch of times until it was a little brush. The brush was used to brush your teeth and also to dip it in tobacco snuff and brush it into your teeth. I still have one my father made me, it's never been used, but the more you use it the softer the brush gets.

[@shutup7134]

I've always wanted to visit Japan

[@gkygrl7]

I really appreciate your channel. I appreciate the unique videos you do, and how you share parts of Japan that a foreigner might not even know about.

[@madisonelenna2654]

wow! this is incredible and the location is beautiful!

[@paradise7564]

Thank you so much for making a very informative and fun video on the culture and the people of Ainu. Much love and support!

[@etwrecipe]

so beautiful❤️ I showed on my video a bit that my grandma is related them 🥰 seeing this makes my heart happy❤️

[@heavenlyfrosted]

The Ainu people are so brilliant! Thank you for sharing this 😊

[@kingclan007]

We have the same tradition of making clothes, we still preserve our culture. And also the last music piece which is make from bamboo and a thin thread. So beautiful and lovely seeing similar people and culture. Love from Nagalim.

[@aoshinn]

I've seen a lot of leaf-based clothing here in Brazil, but never a bark one.

[@ernestsheffield9976]

Very cool. I love old crafts like this.

[@leannsmarie]

I'm Cherokee and my tribe's traditional crafts are clay pottery and basket weaving with natural materials like river cane & honeysuckle vines.

[@Calypso_Xo]

They just simply like austronesian, love to chat, and have wide pure smile, hope for the best for ainu ethnic 😊

[@alexandertirasongkran6224]

very fun and informative video about the ainu people. thank you greg for making this video.

[@NeoWind]

Wow ,Awesome job about filming about the Ainu

[@corujariousa]

Nice. Let’s keep these traditions and knowledge alive.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

I did not know they did that! Very interesting to learn more about the Ainu and their culture. 4:00 sounds just like a pan flute!

[@tigsik3128]

Japanese culture is so rich and beautiful.

[@japanesesmiles8515]

Fantastic video! 😊🇯🇵🌸Thank you for sharing!

[@Mcthindi]

9 agust - WORLD INDIGENOUS DAY... Glad to be here 🌈

[@zoib725]

Thank you for sharing! I love learning about people and their traditions. This is so great. I would have never thought that you could get cloth from trees.

[@bhanani5480]

This would be another reason why I need to visit Japan in the future, I would love to participate in something like this, it would be such a privilege to learn this craft 🥰❤

[@buenasdiazfamily6709]

Life where i'm from is awesome. You inspired us and now is our time to share our life's journal. Hoping you all to visit our little home in the Philippines.

[@Codethe_Road]

Havn't seen any of your uploads for a while, my sub feed is way too over-stuffed with boring stuff.. going to have to shave it down so all the important things I love come in again.

[@mfaizsyahmi]

lol your Kanna Kamui dp is oddly fitting here. Kanna is an Ainu goddess based on her name.

[@ketsune23]

This is so far my favorite channel. Thank you, Greg, for making such a wonderful work :) your videos keep me motivated to learn Japanese. ありがとうございます。

[@Ozobzee]

Thank you so much. I really love the Ainu culture. At first, I thought Maya was going to speak in Aninu dialect. Lol

[@Gr95dc]

I really want to travel to Japan and one place I for sure want to know is Hokkaido, every time I see something about Hokkaido, my desire to visit grows exponentially

[@alistairblaire6001]

Very relaxing and peaceful video. Just what I needed today.

[@kamrensorrell5126]

It makes me so happy to wake up to one of your new videos

[@MrSprikiting]

It'd be a really nice experience to wear a kimono/clothing made by this group of people. Done with real hard work. Good job for keeping this kind of tradition and culture.

[@Jsmith1611]

love this short format

[@fish_n_chips]

Another terrific video. Also a video is never complete without a drone shot. Well done

[@ktps1527]

I loved watching this. While in Hokkaido I visited this place. This brings back memories. I wish I could have participated in the harvesting of the bark.

[@1949chefjojo]

Awesome natural wonders are in Japan.

[@hibuampi1211]

It's amazing to keep tradition to preserve now a days not seen any kind of this..no one is practicing ... great work great people

[@shrisada]

Very interesting. Would love to see more videos about their culture

[@LittleThingsinJapan]

Great video! Love this content outside the usual Tokyo and stuff!

[@betatester2980]

Wow ainu, there's is not a whole lot of documentary about them..... Thank you for sharing.

[@helsiclife]

Really interesting! Great documentary! Thanks for sharing a piece of your culture ❤️

[@astroboy3507]

Was surprised to see that kimono made from tree bark!!! 🤔😮👍

[@klgherkin]

Thank you for sharing this! I wanted to learn about Ainu when I was in Hokkaido last year but all the museums had closed for the winter. I'll have to go back some time when it's warm 😊

[@davidcoleman2796]

That is very interesting. Beautiful people . I'd love to visit .